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Senate proposal would repeal law that led to FSU Law building being named for B.K. Roberts

B.K. Roberts Hall at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, 1986.(Photo: State Archives of Florida (Florida Memory))

A legislative panel on Tuesday unanimously cleared legislation to repeal a state law allowing for the main academic building at the Florida State University College of Law to be named for former Florida Supreme Court Justice B.K. Roberts.

The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee OK'd the measure (SB 7042) with no debate on a 4-0 vote.

Late last week, the proposal was filed to give the State University System's Board of Governors authority to come up with guidelines on the naming or renaming of state university facilities, or give that authority to individual university Board of Trustees and presidents.

It also would repeal a 1973 law involving FSU’s College of Law.

Roberts, who also was the state's chief justice, was an avowed segregationist who used his position to thwart the efforts of African American student Virgil Hawkins to gain admittance to the University of Florida's law school.

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The main academic building at The Florida State University College of Law is named after former Florida Supreme Court Justice B.K. Roberts.(Photo: Andrew Salinero/Democrat)

“Florida State University is supportive of the proposed legislation,” said Kathleen Daly, FSU’s associate vice president for university relations. “We’re grateful the Legislature has been receptive to allowing the Board of Governors and the state’s public universities to have the responsibility for naming campus buildings.”

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, said the new legislation has been in the works for several weeks.

“I’m hoping to put this to bed this year and give FSU the authority to make the decision they think is best,” said Montford, who is serving his last session.

“The intent of this is to give authority to the local universities and the Board of Governors,” he added. “This, in effect, will allow FSU to take the action they feel is appropriate.”

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Then-state Sen. John Thrasher, left, confers with Bill Montford on the floor of the Senate in this 2013 file photo. Thrasher now is FSU's president.(Photo: Tallahassee Democrat files)

The legislation closely mirrors a similar committee bill filed at the beginning of last year’s session. It passed through Senate committees and was approved by a 34-1 Senate vote.

It wasn't taken up by the House, however, where no companion bill had been filed. The path for this year's Senate bill — that is, which committees will next hear it — wasn't immediately clear, but a companion bill is expected to be introduced this session in the House.

In July 2018, FSU President John Thrasher agreed to recommendations from the 15-member President’s Advisory Panel on University Namings and Recognitions, created to examine campus names and markers.

Thrasher appointed the panel in September 2017 in the wake of violent protests over a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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The controversial Frances Eppes statue was installed in the Mina Jo Powell Green at Florida State University Sunday. The statue was removed last July after it was found that Eppes owned slaves.(Photo: Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Following extensive public hearings, the panel recommended removing Roberts’ name from the College of Law, as well as removing a statue of Francis Eppes from its prominent location near the campus' Westcott building.

Naming the main academic building at the College of Law after Roberts Hall was approved in 1973, for his work in bringing a law school to FSU. The action was taken after lobbying by the college’s founding dean, Mason Ladd.